Swedish magazine publishes topless Kate pictures

Swedish celebrity magazine Se & Hor (See & Hear) publishes photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge sunbathing topless and its sister publication in Denmark plans to do the same on Thursday.

"It is nothing new to us to publish nude photos of celebrities on holiday," said Carina Lofkvist, the chief editor of the Swedish magazine.

Editor-in-chief of the Danish magazine (Se og Hoer) said the pictures of Prince William's wife Kate will appear in a special 16-page supplement, to show Denmark "what these photos are all about."

Se og Hoer editor Kim Henningsen said he had been offered 240 pictures but decided only to use 60 to 70 of them. However he declined to say who had sold them to the weekly, or how much they bought them for.

The pictures have so far been published in France, Italy, Ireland and on the internet.

St James's Palace said "proportionate responses were under review".

On Tuesday, a Paris court banned future publication of the pictures in France, ordering French magazine Closer to hand over the originals.

News of the Danish magazine's decision emerged as Prince William and his wife returned to the UK from a nine-day Diamond Jubilee tour of south-east Asia and the South Pacific.

Private holiday

The photographs that appeared in Closer were taken while the duchess was sunbathing on a private holiday with her husband at the French chateau of the Queen's nephew, Lord Linley, in Provence, earlier this month.

A statement on the Danish publication's website on Wednesday said: "Se og Hoer has exclusively (in Denmark) obtained the pictures of the topless Duchess of Cambridge, Kate.

"Tomorrow we will publish a 16-page spread full of piquant photos of England's future queen."

A St James's Palace spokesperson said: "As we've said, we will not be commenting on potential legal action concerning the alleged intended publication of the photos save to say that all proportionate responses will be kept under review."

'Brutal display'

The sunbathing pictures ran in Closer on Friday before appearing elsewhere.

It added: "These snapshots which showed the intimacy of a couple, partially naked on the terrace of a private home, surrounded by a park several hundred metres from a public road, and being able to legitimately assume that they are protected from passers-by, are by nature particularly intrusive."

Royal officials said its decision was welcomed by the duke and duchess, who had "always believed the law had been broken" and they were entitled to their privacy.

Following the ruling in the civil case, prosecutors are considering whether there are grounds for criminal charges.